Reference may be made to the following patents of interest U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,336,806; 4,707,906; 4,757,813.
In many hospital situations, during a surgical operation or in post surgery care, there are requirements for various types of medical tubing to be used for supplying fluids to a patient or removing fluids from a patient. Surgical tape is usually applied to the tubing and to the patient or the hospital bed to maintain the tubing in position.
As an example, nasal gastric tubing is often inserted into a patient's nostril with the tubing end reaching to the stomach so as to remove undesired fluids from the patient's stomach. Typically, segments of surgical tape are applied across the tubing and onto a patient's face in order to anchor and hold the tubing in position. In extended care situations the presence of the tape on the patient's face can be irritating and cause discomfiture while also being a potential source of infection by catching food particles, etc. when located near the patient's mouth and chin.
Holding devices for medical tubing have been proposed for maintaining the tubing in a desired position. U.S. Pat. No. 4,336,806 shows a medical tube holder with a backing strip adhesively connected on a back surface to a surgical drape. The backing strip includes magnets on the front surface so that the strip may be folded around a medical tube and the tubing maintained within the holder by the magnetic attraction between the folded backing strip portions.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,707,906 shows a medical tube holder in the form of a metal strip in which the tubing is held by a spring clamping tube portion at one end and wherein the other end is connected to a spring clip which can be fastened to the bed sheets or instruments.
It is now desirable to provide a medical tube holder which can be readily placed into position, particularly when the holder is used for holding nasal gastric tubing inserted into a patient's nostrils and for maintaining the tubing in position.
It is also especially desirable to provide a nasal gastric tube holder which can be utilized with infants as well as adults, and if desired, may be adjustable in size.